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In case you had any doubts, it's official, hiking is dangerous..............

Press Release
New CDC Study First To Present National Outdoor Recreational Injury Estimates
Nearly 213,000 treated in emergency departments annually-- more than half of injuries among young people ages 10-24

For Immediate Release: June 10, 2008

Contact: CDC Injury Center Media Relations, (770) 488-4902

Almost 213,000 people were treated each year in emergency departments for outdoor recreational injuries from 2004 to 2005, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study in the journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. Of those injured, about 109,000 (51.5 percent) were young people between the ages of 10 and 24.

For both men and women of all ages, the most common injuries were fractures (27.4 percent) and sprains (23.9 percent). Of these, most injuries were to the arms or legs (52 percent) or to the head or neck (23.3 percent). Overall, 6.5 percent of outdoor injuries treated were diagnosed as traumatic brain injury (TBI).

“Participation in outdoor recreation is increasingly popular in the United States,” said Arlene Greenspan, Dr. PH and co-author of the study. “The good news is that there are ways to help stay safe while having healthy fun outdoors. For example, by wearing the appropriate helmet for snowboarding, snowmobiling, sledding and rock climbing, you can reduce your risk of having a head injury, which could become a traumatic brain injury. Helmets are one piece of equipment that can have a critical, positive impact.”

The study points out that wilderness injury prevention begins with planning, preparation, and problem anticipation. Outdoor adventurers can help prevent injuries by:

-Maintaining their levels of fitness, knowing their skill levels and experience, and not exceeding their limits.
-Checking and maintaining their equipment and replacing if needed.
-Carrying a first-aid kit (and, if appropriate for the situation, a two-way communication device.)
-Alerting others about where they are going.

“We encourage people of all ages to enjoy recreational activities to stay healthy and fit,” said Ileana Arias, Ph.D., director of the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. “With proper planning and preparation, you can anticipate potential problems and reduce possible injuries and long-term consequences.”

I have seen three statistical studies of death in the wilderness. One from New Hampshire SAR cases. One from Arizona. One from "western" U.S. Parks. They all recorded that falls, drowning, and heart attacks each accounted for about 1/4 of deaths. All other causes accounted for the remaining 1/4.

So far this year, fewer people have died from various causes in the Sierras. No fatalities on the Half Dome cables, and no one being swept over waterfalls in Yosemite (the extremely dry winter probably has a lot to do with that).

One river that I have frequented all my life, the Spring River which originates in Mammoth Springs Missouri, seems to claim three to five lives every year recently. The hydrology of the river does change, but the most common causes are alcohol consumption and entrapment in rocks below rapids and falls. Most of the incidents I would say were subclassifications of complacency. People treat the river like an amusement park, forgetting that it was not designed by engineers for user safety. This is mild class I-II whitewater fed yearround by cold water springs. It attracts huge crowds of young people on most warm weather holidays, the majority of which have no experience with whitewater safety or rescue. If I had my way, every river user would attend a brief orientation program on whitewater safety before they could embark on the river. It sounds silly since this is such an easy and fun river to float, not remote at all. But that adds to the complacency.

There is no doubt about it water and alcohol is a recipe for disaster.

My cousin is the Search and Rescue Coordinator for the State of Oregon Office of Emergency Management. He told me that about 75% of all SAR missions in Oregon involve water (usually rivers) and the majority of those are alcohol related.

He also said that, unfortunately, the vast majority of those missions usually end up as recovery efforts.

While vacationing with her family in Hardy, Carla Jo Davenport, 41, of Lonoke, Ark. drowned July 25 when she was thrown from her raft and trapped between rocks near Rio Vista.
Carla Jo and her husband, Tommy Davenport, along with their seven year old son, were staying in a cabin at Rio Vista in Hardy, when they decided take the float.
As they got to the Rio Vista Falls, their raft capsized and Davenport fell into the river. Seeing she was trapped, her husband immediately tried to free her as their son made his way to shore.
According to the Hardy Police Department Incident Report, “On July 25, 2011 at 1:21 p.m. Roger McCord called 911 and reported that a lady has been hurt going over the falls in Rio Vista. Upon arrival, rescue workers were attempting to dislodge the victim at Rio Vista Falls in approximately three foot of swift water. The victim had gotten caught in the rocks on the falls, face down. Rescue workers were told that she had been under water for approximately 10 minutes prior to our arrival. Attempts to dislodge her were made using ropes and manpower with negative results. The ‘jaws of life’ was used to break away rocks in attempts to free the victim. A human dam was made above the victim by rescue workers while other workers used ropes to dislodge the victim from the rocks.”
Rescue workers from the Cherokee Village Fire Department, Nine Mile Ridge Fire Department, Officers from Sharp County Sheriff’s Department, Cherokee Village Police Department, Ravenden Police Department, as well as some citizens from our community, all assisted the Hardy Fire and Police Department by bringing in other tools, ropes and boats, as well as the much needed manpower.”
According to authorities, this is the fifth fatal or near-fatal accident in that area since Memorial Day.
The river is constantly changing its course with time, and the recent flooding may have exaggerated river hazards, according to authorities.

I note that in the video, no PFDs are seen. In the above instance, no alcohol was involved. But would she have submerged in 3' of water if she had worn a PFD? Had she known not to try to stand in swift water among boulders?

I have done a couple of raft trips- one just on the NC/TN line- Little Pidgeon I beleive it was? Also one in the Grand Canyon. Foot entrapment was discussed at length as one of the number one killers as well as hydrofoils- how to recognize them and how to try to get out of them. That being said, I think my one instinct would be to try to stand- something I hope I can overcome.
I have waded our James River many times for small mouth and I am very careful of my footing and aware of hole you can go from 24" of water that is lazy and step into a channel that is 6' and swift. Things like that catch people off guard and they are immediately fighting for life.
I am also strict on PFD's- we had a 22' Hurricane on the lake for a time and my kids bucked on the vests as they both swam like fish. My reply was "How well do you swim if you are unconcious?"
We all die but to die over something that can easily be prevented is just foolish. Any activity has risk but risk can be measured and you can still enjoy the activity.
Bill

Wow as soon as I heard I wondered if it was a "trail" I "climbed" back in 1995 while there. This no trail, more like technical scrambling on granite ledges with metal rungs and rails to assist. It was fun but exposed. Sorry to hear about the accident.